Half Marathon Report

This morning I ran the Georgia Publix Half Marathon. 13.1 miles in 2:03:54, with an average pace of 9:28 per mile. According to my printed race results, I ran the first 6.2 miles in 1:03:21, which is a pace of 10:12 per mile. I ran the last seven miles in about an hour, for a pace of around 8:34 per mile. Those are the dry facts. Now let me tell you about the experience.

To understand what this race meant to me, we need go back to April 11, 2010. On this day, I stepped on the scale and was shocked to discover that I weighed 323 pounds. (I've included a "before" picture in this blog.) I reined in my diet and began walking…and walking…and walking. After a few months, I started peppering my walks with short runs. Over time, I was able to run a continuous 3 miles, then 4, then 5, and eventually 14.

Through experimentation, I've discovered that my Saturday long runs feel best if I take a short, easy run the day before. Sticking with this routine, I went for a short run yesterday. I deliberately ran the same 3 mile route that used to be a challenging walk, just to remind myself where I had started. As I ran the last quarter mile, my eyes welled with tears as I realized that what used to be a major workout was now an easy warm-up run for a much longer distance. The simple fact that I was running 13 hard miles the next day meant that I had already won my own personal race.

On race day, the weather couldn't have been any better. Overcast, with a high in the low 60s, it was as if someone had ordered up the perfect day for a long distance run. I traveled to the race with Mom (visiting from Branson) and Lynnette, my musical partner and fellow runner. I'm very much an early bird and wanted to leave really early for the race, but Mom and Lynnette voted me down. We arrived shortly before the start time, so I was glad that I stretched and warmed up at home. I had consumed plenty of liquid, so on the way to my starting corral, I had to duck into a nearby hotel and take care of some business. Coincidentally, this was the Embassy Suites near Centennial Olympic Park, where I played a corporate gig last year. For some reason, no one seemed to recognize me.

In a race of this size, the runners start in designated areas based on their estimated finish time. Elite runners lead the way, then super fast runners, fast runners, kind of fast runners, and so forth, with the snails bringing up the rear. Once I found my starting corral, it wasn't long before the race began. For my group, the race didn't begin until about 15 minutes after the gun went off. Fortunately, all of our race numbers had chips that were activated once we crossed the official starting line, so every participant was able to get an accurate finishing time. As we were slowly making our way to the starting line, I began to get choked up again. I was thinking that this time last year, I was knocking off a bag of chips a day with a Ben and Jerry's chaser, and this morning I was running a 13 mile race.

I was afraid that in the excitement, I would start too fast and wear myself out early in the race, but that wasn't a problem. With around 15,000 participants, this was by far the biggest race I had entered. (Back in my Air Force days, before I gained all that weight, I ran lots of 5Ks and 10Ks.) With the runners all packed in like sardines, I couldn't have started fast if I had tried. This worked out really well for me. I had no idea how long it would take to run this race. My plan was to start conservatively, and then to kick it up a notch if I felt good at mile 7. Well, I felt more than good at mile 7. I felt great, so I turned on the afterburners. After the fact, I was surprised when I discovered that I averaged 8:34 minutes per mile over the last 7 miles. This isn't elite runner speed, but it's faster than a snail.

The race itself is mostly a blur, but I have some random flashes of memory and observations. The music at the start was too loud. I covered my ears. I'm not good at drinking from paper cups and running at the same time. I got Gatorade up my nose and snotted myself. Runners, even marathoners, come in all shapes and sizes. You gain a lot of energy high-fiving the little kids who are standing by the side of the road cheering for you. Even though I ran the race alone, I had several chance running partners and competitors along the way. There are a lot of cute female runners. The Georgia Publix Marathon/Half Marathon has loads of hills. Whoever decided to put a hill in that last mile of the course deserves a punishment…maybe some sort of Sisyphean fate where they have to run eternal hill repeats. I'm normally not a competitive person, but I allowed no one to pass me in the last two miles. If you're meeting someone after a huge race, you shouldn't give them your phone before the race. It took longer to find my mom than it did to run the race! I can run faster than I thought. I have my own story behind the half marathon. There were 15,000 other stories.

Today's race was a terrific experience all around, and I'm hooked. I've signed up to run the Silver Comet Half Marathon on October 29, and I may look for another half marathon in July or August. I plan on working up to a 20 mile run on Thanksgiving, and next year I'll run the full Georgia Publix Marathon. Sometime in the next year or two, I'd like to take a trip to the American Southwest and spend a couple weeks doing nothing but running desert trails, and when I turn 50 in six years, I'm going to celebrate by running 50 miles.

Back At It

Being a musician is a wonderful thing, but there are times when it can feel like a job. "Job." Just the sound of that short word sends shivers down my spine!

A few days ago, I found myself in a funk after finishing a short run of All Shook Up with Act3 Productions. I don't think I realized how much I needed a break from guitar playing until after that last show. In most ensemble situations, I am able to learn the music quickly without deviating much from my normal practice routine. All Shook Up was different. It was a difficult book to learn, and even during the run of the show, I had to stay on top of it by spending at least 30 minutes running through the tricky parts before each show. Over the past three months, I spent a large percentage of my practice time working on this show book. I cut way back on my usual regimen of licks and sight-reading, and I wasn't able to commit much time to learning new songs for my own repertoire.

After the show, I didn't practice for two days, which is highly unusual for me. I love playing guitar, but even with music, there can be too much of a good thing. If I hadn't had to teach a few lessons and play some rehearsals, I probably wouldn't have touched the guitar at all for two days.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't take back a minute of the time I spent learning All Shook Up. It took me way out of my comfort zone and forced me to become a better guitarist. I'm glad I took the two day break, though. I feel rejuvenated and ready to play again. It feels good to get back to my regular routine, and I cherish the "alone time" with my guitar more than ever.

Act3 Productions

Last night I played the final show of All Shook Up with Act3 Productions. This was a wonderful experience, and I'm looking forward to playing more shows with Act3 in the future. As a trombone player, I played in pit orchestras for several musicals and operas, but this was my first pit experience as a guitarist.

The guitar book for All Shook Up was very challenging. The guitar is typically a back-up instrument, but since this was a rock n' roll show, the guitar was often front and center. Unless I someday play Man of La Mancha, I can almost guarantee that every guitar book I play after this is going to seem easy by comparison. After I was hired to play this show, I asked to have the guitar book as soon as possible, and I'm glad I did! The first time I cracked open the book, it took me three days to work my way through all the music. Eventually, I was able to play through the book in two days, and then finally one day. Once it was time to play the show, it was just a matter of briefly reviewing the tricky spots each day. I'm a better guitarist for having played this show.

I'm happy and proud to have become part of the Act3 Productions family. When I was first told that this was a community theater, I was a little wary…at least until I was told I would get paid. (I am a mercenary!) When I played my first rehearsal, I was pleasantly surprised at the high level of the cast. Opening night was great, and the performances just kept getting better and better. The pit orchestra was mighty fine, too. Everyone was a pro, and it didn't take long for the pit musicians to gel, both musically and personally. (By the way, for those guitarists who downplay the importance of reading music, some pit orchestra experience might just change your mind.)

Act3 Productions has a lot going for it, and I highly recommend checking them out. According to their website, their mission is "to inspire performers, support positive values, and enrich the Arts community by producing professional-level performances." I'll be involved in playing musicals with them 3-4 times a year, but there's a lot more going on than just musicals. They have a group of high school students writing their own musical, several plays, summer workshops, and much more. If you are interested in theater and dance, either as an artist or strictly as an audience member, you owe it to yourself to check out Act3 Productions in Sandy Springs.

Act3 Productions is located at 6285-R Roswell Road NE in Sandy Springs 30328 behind Trader Joe's in the Sandy Springs Plaza. You can go to www.act3productions.org to learn more about Act3 Productions, including upcoming shows, workshops, and a little Act3 history.

The Rest of Your Life

Tonight at the grocery store, the cashier misspoke. Handing me the receipt, she told me, "Enjoy the rest of your life." That is my intention.

Sometimes people look back at their high school or college glory days and say that was the best time of their life. Those were good days for me, and college in particular was the best time of my life…until now. I've had some unpleasant years, including my short and spectacularly bad career as a band director and my last year or so in the Air Force. (Nothing against the Air Force. I was just in a bad situation.) Don't even get me started on Cleveland.

These days, I'm finding that I spend my time mostly on things I like to do. I still enjoy music engraving, which is still my main source of income. I spend a lot of my days practicing guitar and rehearsing with a variety of groups, including a jazz combo, an originals band, and a big band. I'm slowly but steadily making inroads in the Atlanta music scene, and my gig calendar is full. My roster of private students is growing steadily as well, and I'm confident that by the end of the year, teaching will make up a respectable percentage of my income.

My weight and health issues are finally under control. I'm at a healthy weight, looking and feeling better than I have in years, and feeling more confident in general. I originally began running to accelerate my weight loss, but running has now become more than just a means to stay healthy. I love running nearly as much as I love music, and I look forward to my "running mornings."

I've made more friends in the past two years than I made in the previous ten years. Without even trying, I seem to have connected with the right people at the right time. Part of this is because I'm meeting more people as I play more gigs, but most of it is because I've removed some emotional barriers that I've always used to keep people at arm's length.

Even though my yearly income places me squarely in the "poor" category, I am rich in friends and music, and I plan on nurturing and growing this special kind of wealth as the years roll on. I had a good laugh at the cashier's slip of the tongue, but I became more grateful for what I have as I thought about her words. Whatever your situation is, whatever your passions are, I hope that you, too, will enjoy the rest of your life.

Balancing Act

I don't know if there is such a thing as a foodaholic, but if there is, then I am one. Believe it or not, losing 124 pounds was fairly easy. I'm extremely goal oriented. Once I've set my sights on achieving something, there's usually not much that can stop me. Now that I've met my goal and am at a healthy weight, I'm finding food to be a challenge again. About a week after reaching my target weight, I found myself bingeing, telling myself that since I'm doing so much distance running, I'll automatically keep the weight off. This is the kind of mindset that reversed my weight loss efforts the last time. I may be running a lot, but it's still a numbers game. No matter how much I run, if I consume more calories than I burn, I'm going to gain weight again. Having learned from past mistakes, I put a stop to the bingeing right away.

I can certainly consume more food than I've been able to eat in the past year, but not so much that my middle starts to expand again. I'm not counting every single calorie anymore, but I'm still mindful of the types of food I eat and my portion sizes. I don't bring junk food into the house, and my cupboard is potato chip free. My will is weakest at night, so I'm maintaining my "don't eat after 6:00" rule as often as practical. In general, if I eat four small meals per day of around 500 calories, I'm in pretty good shape.

While I may always be dealing with food issues, at least I've rekindled my love of running and exercising in general. Running was originally a means of shedding pounds, but now it's a passion nearly on par with my love of music. I'm planning on running two half marathons this year, I want to be able to run 20 miles straight by the end of the year, and next year I'd like to run a marathon. After that, who knows?

I just love food! While I don't have to be as restrictive now as I was when I was in weight loss mode, I still have to be vigilant. The adjustments in my eating will take some experimentation, but I'm confident I'll find the right balance.

Don't Get Drunk

In negotiating with a client for this weekend's gig, I asked two inevitable questions: Can we bring a guest? Will there be food? His answer was that yes, we can each bring a guest, but they have to dress appropriately. (This is for a black tie affair.) We can also eat the food, but, as he wrote, "I am comfortable with you bringing a family member as long as everyone is responsible in consumption of food and alcohol. Last year, the band ate and drank everything we had, so they left a bad taste in people's mouth."

This isn't the first time I've heard this kind of warning. Last year a corporate client told my band that we were free to visit the buffet between sets, but "please don't get drunk." This was ironic, considering I've had exactly one beer in my entire life. She seemed a little surprised when I told her I didn't drink, as if I had destroyed her stereotype of a working musician.

This illustrates that being a professional musician is about more than just being able to play circles around the competition. Equally important is the way you conduct yourself on and off stage. This Saturday, InTown Band will play a cocktail set at 8 and a dance set at 10 at the Cherokee Arts Center. We'll have an hour break, during which we can eat and mingle with guests. During our break, we're going to be "on the job" just as much we are when we're onstage.

As for me, I'm not the hottest guitar player in town, but there's something to be said for showing up on time, properly dressed, and on my best behavior. A great audition or demo will get you a gig, but acting like a pro will earn repeat customers.

LSD

A highlight of the week is my LSD run, and no, it's not what you think. To a runner, LSD is "Long, Slow Distance." This is a weekly run that is at least 1.5 times as long as your average run. I'm currently running 4-6 miles on a given day during the week, but my long run is at least 10 miles. For some, this may seem masochistic. For others, my 10+ miles is just an average workout.

LSD is a must for a distance runner. The way to build endurance is to, well, endure. It's an incredibly challenging workout. You don't want to go for an LSD run more than once a week unless you're trying to run your body into the ground. There are probably some ultra-runners out there who would disagree, but one LSD run per week is plenty for us mortals.

The LSD run also teaches you mental toughness and patience. You must maintain a slower pace on an LSD run, or you simply won't last…or maybe you will last, but you'll wish you hadn't! At the beginning of an LSD run, I curb my enthusiasm, running purposefully and slowly. Yesterday I ran 11 miles. It felt like I was moving at a snail's pace, but once I hit 5 miles and realized I had 6 more to go, I was congratulating myself for maintaining a reasonable pace. Running an 11:30 mile may seem very slow. Well, it is very slow, but believe me, if you run at that pace for 11 miles, you'll feel it!

About 15 years ago, I was a pretty speedy runner, training mostly for fast 5K and 10K races. Even though I'm not nearly as fast these days, I'm able to run longer distances because I've learned the value of slowing down. Back then, I used a stopwatch so that I could push myself to run faster and faster. Today, I wear a GPS watch that keeps track of my pace. Instead of using it to push the tempo, I actually use it to slow down on my LSD run. If I find that I'm running faster than a certain pace, even if I feel strong, I'll slow down until I reach the pace that will allow me to go the distance. As I continue running, I'll naturally become faster as I grow stronger, but this year is all about endurance. One of my goals is to be able to run 20 miles by the end of the year, and I've already worked out a training plan.

The Long, Slow Distance mindset is part of my musical life, too. As a guitarist, I want to be able to play like Joe Pass, Frank Vignola, or Martin Taylor. The reality is that I sound good for someone who's only been playing seven years, but I'm nowhere near their league. All I can do is maintain my slow, steady pace and go the distance. Each day, I run through scales and patterns, practice sight-reading, work on improvisation, practice music for upcoming performances, review my solo arrangements work on new arrangements, and so forth. Every practice session is like logging another mile in my LSD guitar run. You never know, someday I might wake up and realize I can run with the big dogs. Until then, it's one step at a time.